PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jorma Niemi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pepe Molina (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pepe Molina is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Niemi
vs
Molina

175 cm
18
158 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
25
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jorma Niemi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Pepe Molina!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Jonathan Paton and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Niemi looks to score with a jab to the body but Molina is just out of range.
Despite the aggression on Molina's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Niemi takes a swing at Molina's ribcage but misses.
Niemi uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Molina has time to react.
Niemi loads up on a big right hand but Molina slips the punch.
Molina walks into a stiff left hand from Niemi.
Niemi works Molina's body with a nice hook.

Molina takes the fight into the clinch.
Niemi is looking to break free of the clinch but Molina has double underhooks.
Niemi can't find room to land a body shot as Molina controls the action.
We've been informed that Molina has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Molina controlling the action here for a moment.
Molina lands with a light punch inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Niemi misses with a punch to the body.
Molina using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Molina pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Niemi scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Niemi is looking to score with low kicks.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Niemi lunges at Molina with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Molina's hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Molina throws a head kick that misses.

Molina has managed to clinch.
Niemi wants to break free but Molina has control.
Molina working Niemi over with knees to the body.
Molina is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
A head punch on the inside from Molina fails to land.
Niemi fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Molina throws an elbow but it misses.
Molina is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Niemi is defending well.
Niemi is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Molina pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Molina moves in looking to clinch but Niemi pushes him off.
Niemi looks to land a right hand but Molina moved out of range.
Niemi throws a shot from downtown. Molina moves away and avoids it.
Niemi avoids the head kick by Molina.
Niemi slips a jab and a cross from Molina.
Niemi missing with a left hand there. Molina was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Molina slips under a jab from Niemi.
Molina is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Molina takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Molina tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Niemi manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Molina moves into the clinch successfully.
A head punch on the inside from Niemi fails to land.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Niemi is trying to force a seperation but Molina has the dominant position.
Molina tries to work over Niemi's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Niemi struggles to land a body shot inside as Molina controls his hands.
Niemi wants to break the clinch but can't.
Molina displaying some good clinch control by pressing Niemi up against the cage.
Molina stalls.
Molina is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Niemi is defending well.
Molina has Niemi pressed against the cage.
Niemi on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Still in the clinch, Niemi scores with a nice short uppercut.
Niemi is trying to push Molina away but Molina has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Molina is trying to maintain a safe position but Niemi gets an underhook and turns Molina into the cage.
Molina lands a body shot in the clinch.
Molina blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A left hand lands to the body for Niemi.
Molina looks winded!
Molina wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Niemi has him pressed against the cage.
Niemi misses with the head strike.
A frustrated look appears on Niemi's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Niemi is trying to push Molina away but Molina has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Niemi lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Niemi tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Molina's elbow.
Niemi wants to get back to striking at distance but Molina won't allow it.
Molina taking a breather.
Molina is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Molina seems frustrated at his inability to get double underhooks.
Niemi's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Molina fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Niemi is trying to push Molina away but Molina has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Niemi wants to break free but Molina has control.
Niemi is trying to break free.
Molina lands a body shot in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Molina just leaning against Niemi, taking a breather.
Niemi misses with a body punch.
Niemi looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Niemi is trying to force a seperation but Molina has the dominant position.
Niemi can't break the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Niemi.
Molina has Niemi pressed against the cage, preventing Niemi from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Molina misses with the head strike.

Molina breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Niemi lands an overhand right.
A jab from Niemi does it's job there.
Niemi misses with an uppercut.
A jab from Niemi misses.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Niemi scores with a jab.
Niemi lands a really nice looking cross but Molina seems unphased.
Some bone on bone action there as Molina checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
And Molina tries to counter it with a takedown but Niemi pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Niemi misses with a right hand
and Molina cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Niemi lands with a good body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jorma Niemi dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Niemi scores with a jab. Molina acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Molina tries to close the distance and clinch up but Niemi swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Niemi darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Molina tries to clinch but Niemi is having none of it.
Niemi was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Molina throws a shot from downtown. Niemi moves away and avoids it.
Nice uppercut there from Niemi.
Pepe Molina is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Niemi thows a left - swing and a miss!
Niemi keeps the fight on the outside.
Molina doesn't manage to clinch there - Niemi circles away.
Niemi is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Molina can do to turn this around?

Molina closes the distance and clinches.
Niemi tries to throw a body punch but Molina avoids it by throwing Niemi back against the cage.
Niemi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Molina misses with a punch to the body.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Molina digs a right hand into Niemi's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Niemi's gas tank.
Molina slows down the pace here.

Molina breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Niemi throws a big shot that misses.
A cross from Niemi lands.
A head kick misses from Molina.
Molina keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Niemi.
Molina gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Niemi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Molina moves out of range of the strikes.
Niemi throws a shot from downtown. Molina moves away and avoids it.
Molina is looking for the big counter here.
Niemi throws a hook but Molina avoids it easily.
A combination from Niemi does no damage.
Niemi throws a hook but Molina avoids it easily.
Niemi throws a hook but Molina avoids it easily.

Molina gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Molina breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Molina blocks a jab.
Niemi bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Molina's head backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Niemi throws an overhand right that lands on Molina's shoulder, as Molina tries to avoid the shot.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Niemi misses with a lunging right hand
and Molina counters with a left and a right that stings Niemi.
Molina wants to clinch.
Niemi lands a head shot.
A big left from Niemi misses.

Molina clinches up with Niemi and pushes him back against the cage.
Molina manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Niemi is trying to force a seperation but Molina has the dominant position.
Niemi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Niemi tries to circle away but Molina has him pinned against the cage.
Niemi being controlled against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Molina misses with an elbow strike.

Molina breaks the clinch.

Molina moves into the clinch.
Molina taking a breather.

Molina's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Molina slips a straight right by Niemi.
Niemi jabs Molina to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Jorma Niemi is winning the standup battle so far.
Niemi throws a jab but it's blocked by Molina.

Molina moves into the clinch.
Molina tries a knee to the head but Niemi blocks it.

Niemi manages to break the clinch.
Jorma Niemi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Niemi tries to bum rush Molina with a series of wild strikes but Molina uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Niemi swats away the attempt to clinch by Molina.

Molina gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Niemi misses with a body punch.
Niemi has had enough of the clinch but Molina keeps him there for the moment.
Niemi can't break the clinch.
Molina digs a right hand into Niemi's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Niemi's gas tank.
Niemi is trying to break the clinch but Molina has him pressed against the cage.
Molina's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Niemi is trying to break free.
Molina prevents Niemi from breaking the clinch.
Niemi tries a body shot but Molina blocks it.
Molina tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Niemi's elbow.
Niemi stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Niemi tries to break the clinch but Molina is controlling the position.
Niemi wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Molina has him pressed against the cage.
A short left from Niemi.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Niemi doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Niemi tries to circle away but Molina has him pinned against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jorma Niemi dominated that second round.
That's time! Niemi's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Molina uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Niemi.
Niemi throws a looping overhand right but Molina ducks down to avoid it.
Some wild striking there from Molina.
Niemi rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Molina counters with a two punch combo.
Molina tries to clinch there but Niemi circles away.
Molina checks a low kick from Niemi.
Molina drops his hands momentarily and Niemi takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Molina takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Molina blocks a jab.
Niemi waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Molina.
Molina defending well as Niemi loads up on a big left hand.
Molina shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Niemi but Niemi pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Niemi loads up on a big right hand but Molina slips the punch.
A left lands for Niemi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Molina looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Niemi misses with a looping left.
A swing and a miss from Niemi.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Niemi.
Niemi connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Molina tries to close the distance and clinch up but Niemi swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Jorma Niemi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Niemi bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Molina's head backwards.
Niemi throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

Molina closes the distance and pushes Niemi back into the cage.

Molina breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Niemi dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Molina. That did some damage!
Niemi displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

Molina is rocked!
Niemi drops Molina with a huge uppercut! Molina drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Niemi is raining down punches and the ref stops the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:52 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jorma Niemi!